Button-fastener.



G. J. CA PEWELL. BUTTON FAST ENER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY B|19l4.

1i, 1@U,8?5. Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

WITNESSES: INVENTO Mam 4/ 60M TTORNE Y.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co, WASHINGTON, D. c.

GEORGE T. CAPEWELL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BUTTON-FASTENER.

Application filed July 6, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE J. CAPEWELL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and ImprovedButton-Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates more especially to means for securing buttons tovarious articles, and more especially to clothing and other articles ofwearing apparel, and an object of my invention, among others, is toprovide a fastening for a button that shall be cheap in construction,that may be readily applied, and that shall be extremely effective as asecuring means.

One form of fastening means embodying my invention and in theconstruction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well asothers, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a view in section through my improved fastening,illustrating the manner of holding a button in place. Fig. 2 is a planview of the button. Fig. 3 is a detail view inelevation of the holdingmember of my improved fastener. Fig. 4L is a plan view of the same. Fig.5 is a detail View illustrating the form assumed by the fastener in aninitial step in the fastening operation. Fig. 6 is a detail view showinga slightly dilferent form of fastener. Fig. 7 is a view of the fasteneras seen in a plane at right angles to the plane of View of Fig. 3.

My improved securing means may be employed for attaching various formsof fasteners to clothing or other articles, and it is especially adaptedfor buttons of various kinds, stud and socket fasteners, &c., and thesehave therefore been selected as a convenient means for clearly settingforth the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1O denotes a button, of any ofthe usual forms adapted to be engaged within the button hole of agarment, and as embodying my invention this button includes a hub 11that is hollow to provide a recess for the reception of my improvedfastener, said -recess being preferably of a greater area at its bottomthan at its outer end. In the form of construction herein shown Tprovide a socket piece 12 fitting within the tapered opening in the hub11, this Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 19%..

Serial No. 849,023.

socket piece being closed at its inner end, that is, that end projectingthrough or lorated at the face of the button. The recess 13 is formed inthis socket piece that is of greater area at its bottom and tapersgradually to the mouth of the recess. This socket piece is provided witha flange 14 as a means of securing it within the hub 11. The button maybe formed of any suitable material appropriate for devices of thisclass, and the socket piece may be formed of metal, whether the buttonitself be formed of such material or not.

The fastening member embodying a part of my invention consists of a stemprovided with a head 15. This stem includes a longer prong l6 and ashorter prong 17 that may be secured to the head in any suitable manner.As herein shown a single piece of metal is folded to provide a crosspiece 18, the ends of which are located underneath lips 19 formed on theunder surface of the head, the two branches extending from the crosspiece forming the prongs 16 and 17. The longer prong is provided with anindentation or shoulder forming a shield 20 on the side next to theshorter prong of the fastener, the latter being of such size that itwill lie under and be protectc d by this indented part or shoulder, sothat the two prongs will in effect operate as a single pron taperinggradually from the head 15 to the point 21, the shield protecting thepoint of the shorter member to prevent its catching when the prongs arethrust through the material to which the button is to be secured.

The prongs are preferably fori'ned from a piece flat on one side androunded on the opposite side, the part to constitute the cross piece,being flattened. With this construction, the ends of the prongs are sodistorted and wedged into the recess into which they are driven thatthey will be held therein with a grip sufficient to answer all of the requirements that will be placed upon the structure in its use as abutton. This indented portion or shield of the longer prong also servesanother function, which function is that of a guide to direct themovement of the shorter prong after it has entered the recess in thebutton, and as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

In operation the button is placed on that face of the material to whichit is to be secured and the stem, consisting of the prongs 1617, isforced through the material from the opposite side of said material,said prongs entering the recess 13 in the button. The point of thelonger prong, striking the bottom of the recess, will be bent laterallyand the point of the shorter prong, engaging the shoulder or shield 20,will be forced outwardly or away from the longer prong 16, and intocontact with the side of the recess. The two prongs and especially thelonger may assume various forms, depending upon conditions, as to the.shape of the recess, the relative resilient qualities of the two prongs,&c., until the stem is completely wedged within the recess and securelyheld against withdrawal therefrom, thus tightly securing the button inplace. The construction will, however, give to the prongs the generalshape shown in Fig. 1, in which the shorter prong 17 is forced outwardagainst the side wall of the recess and the part of the longer prongforming the shoulder 20 will be bent into a strut serving to hold boththe shorter prong and that part of the longer prong below said shoulder,firmly engaging the side walls of the recess.

In Fig. 6 my improved fastener is shown as especially applicable forsecuring a shoe button 24: in place, which button is also especiallyadapted for formation therein of the recess within which the prongs 16and 17 of my improved fastening are received, thus securing the head 26and button firmly against the material 25 to which the button is to befastened.

While I have shown and described herein a preferred form of fasteningembodying my ideas as disclosed herein, it will be understood that thismay be changed to a greater or lesser degree and yet be within thespirit and intent of the invention.

I claim- 1. A button fastener including a head having a socket of largerarea at the bottom thereof, and a fastening member having a head and astem consisting of a plural number of prongs having separable andpointed ends, one of which is provided with means for separating theothertherefrom and for directing its movement.

2. A button fastener including a head having a socket of larger area atthe bottom thereof, and a fastening member having a head and a stemconsisting of a plural number of prongs having separable and pointedends, each provided with means for separating the other therefrom andfor directing the movement of the end of another.

3. A button fastener including a head having a socket of larger area atthe bottom thereof, and a fastening member having a head and a stemconsisting ofa plural number of prongs, one of which has a shoulder to.receive and direct the movement of another.

4. A button fastener including a head having a socket of larger area atthe bottom thereof, and a fastening member having a head and a stemconsisting of a plural number of prongs, one of which has a beveledshoulder to receive and direct the movement of another and the otherhaving its end formed to direct the movement of the one.

5. A button fastener including a head having a socket of larger area atthe bottom thereof, and a fastening member having a head and a stem,consisting of a longer and a a shorter prong, the longer having a recessto receive and shield the point of the shorter, the edge of said recessbeing shaped to direct the movement of the shorter prong.

6. A button fastener including a head having a socket of larger area atthe bottom thereof, and a fastening member having a head and a stemconsisting of a longer and a shorter prong, the longer being bent toform a shoulder to overlie the end of the shorter whereby the movementsof each into the recess in the socket is directed.

7. A button fastener including a button having a hole extending throughit and wider at one end than at the other, a socket piece separatelyformed therefrom and placed therein to close said hole, said socketpiece having a recess of larger area at its bottom, and a fasteningmember including a head and prongs projecting therefrom, said prongshaving means to direct the ends thereof to wedge them within saidrecess.

8. A button fastener including a head hav ing a socket, and a fasteningmember having a head and a stem consisting of a plural number of prongs,having separable and pointed ends, said prongs being provided. withmeans for directing the movement of another and in one oppositedirection there from.

9. A button fastener including a head having a socket, and a fasteningmember having a head and a stem consisting of a longer and a shorterprong, the longer prong being provided with means to cause it to be bentand form a strut to hold the shorter GEORGE J. CAPEWELTI.

Witnesses:

A. E. OBnnnv, ARTHUR B. JENKINS.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 01' Patents. Washington, D. 6."

